Snowbound
by Jess13
Summary: Sam and Daniel are stuck at the SGC alone, during a snowstorm.
1. Default Chapter

Snowbound

Author: Jess

Rating: PG

Archive: Anywhere, just let me know where it's going and keep my name on it.

Subjects: S/D friendship, angst, smarm

Summary: Sam and Daniel are stuck at the SGC alone, during a snowstorm.

Spoilers: Children of the Gods, Emancipation, very tiny one for Broca Divide (blink and you'll miss it). Takes place in S1, shortly after Emancipation.

Disclaimer: I am making no money off of this. The characters do not belong to me; they belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions and Gekko Film Corp. This story is copyrighted June, 2004 and may not be used or altered without the express permission of the author.

A/N: Thanks to BethV for the beta!

Chapter 1

"Hey, kids," Jack called out happily as he noticed Sam, Daniel and Teal'c sitting at one of the tables in the commissary.

"Hey, Jack," Daniel returned softly, lifting up his head.

"Sir," Sam acknowledged him with a nod.

"O'Neill," Teal'c stated solemnly, also nodding his head slightly.

"Is this seat taken?" Jack asked, gesturing toward the empty seat next to Teal'c.

Teal'c looked at him strangely and raised an eyebrow.

"He means 'do you expect someone to be sitting here', Teal'c," Sam explained with a grin as Daniel bowed his head slightly, with a huge grin.

"No, I do not expect anyone to be sitting here," Teal'c answered.

"Ah," Jack nodded. He sat down next to Teal'c.

Jack looked at the others in anticipation. Sam and Daniel were each finishing up their breakfast. Teal'c only looked back at Jack curiously.

"So," Jack began after an awkward silence.

Daniel and Sam lifted their heads, eyebrows raised.

"Anyone excited about the snow day? I sure am."

Daniel furrowed his brow in confusion and looked at Sam.

"Um… sn-snow day?" he stammered.

"What are you talking about, Sir?"

"I too am perplexed by O'Neill's words," Teal'c added.

Jack rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Just what have you two been doing all morning?" he addressed Sam and Daniel.

"Uh … well I've been working on that translation ever since we got back from Simarka," Daniel replied innocently.

Sam shrugged.

"I've been … defragmenting my hard drive," she said sheepishly.

Jack raised his eyebrows and Daniel turned to look at her.

"Well … when you're working on a computer model that extrapolates symbols from a cartouche, it's quite a bit of wear and tear…" she trailed off.

"Ah," Jack nodded. He looked back at Teal'c and noticed the confused look still plastered on his face.

"Well, then. For you uninformed, I'll elaborate," he continued. "We're getting snow … lots of wet, cold, mushy snow."

"So?" Daniel asked as Sam shrugged.

"Did I mention we're getting lots of snow?" Jack repeated sarcastically.

"Well, technically it's still winter," Sam said matter-of-factly. "I mean, the weather doesn't start getting better until early April, right?"

"Lots of snow … snow drifts past your eyeballs, Carter." Jack answered playfully, waving his arms around.

Sam shook her head and grinned. She turned toward Daniel who rolled his eyes and snickered.

Jack's amusement faded as General Hammond made his way up to them.

"Ah, the good old General will back me up on this one," he said cheekily to the others as he gestured toward Hammond.

"I'm glad I was able to find you all together," Hammond began.

The other three members of SG-1 looked at him curiously.

"I don't know how many of you have been paying attention to the weather report –"

"I have, Sir!" Jack interrupted smugly.

Hammond nodded wearily.

"Colonel, please," he sighed.

"Sorry, Sir, shutting up now," Jack replied obediently as he sat back down with the others.

"The National Weather Service has issued a major winter storm warning for Colorado Springs. This immediate area could see blizzard conditions by early afternoon. Since you're not due for your next mission before the end of the week, I'm putting you all on stand down for the immediate foreseeable future."

Daniel and Sam looked at the General seriously. Teal'c cocked his head and raised an eyebrow.

"Really, Sir?" Jack piped up.

Hammond nodded grimly.

"Is the weather really going to be that bad?" Sam asked, almost incredulously.

"Captain, I have ordered all other SGC personnel, with the exception of security, to leave the mountain as early as possible this afternoon. If I didn't think it was going to be this bad, I wouldn't have done it."

"Uh … what about you, Sir?" Sam asked in return.

A faint smile appeared on the General's lips.

"I have a couple of granddaughters who love playing in the snow," he said wistfully.

Sam smiled in understanding.

The General's smile faded as he looked back at the members of SG-1.

"Well … if you have something you need to do, I suggest you get it done before this afternoon. And keep a close eye on the weather report," he finished.

Sam nodded.

"Have fun, Sir," Jack grinned at the General's retreating form.

He turned back to Sam, Daniel and Teal'c and rubbed his hands together.

"Ah, well I'm headed home for a little snowbound relaxation. Anyone care to join me?"

Sam, Daniel and Teal'c all looked up at him and merely blinked.

"Aw, come on!" Jack tried to persuade them. "We could have some hot chocolate, relax by the fire and watch the hockey game."

Daniel made a face and Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Or we could all sit around and ignore each other," Jack offered again.

Daniel shook his head.

"Jack, really, it sounds great," he lied unconvincingly, "but I _really_ need to finish up that translation."

Sam nodded her head furiously.

"And I really need to finish that computer model, Sir," she insisted.

"Do you _really_ need to, Carter?" Jack asked sarcastically.

"Well, yes! I'm trying to extrapolate that set of glyphs from the symbols the refugees from Chulak gave us …"

"Carter, do you _ever_ take a break?"

Sam scowled at him.

"And as for you, you're always in the middle of translating something-or-other," he said, addressing Daniel. Daniel was about to speak when Jack stopped him.

"Uh, uh! You're both coming home with me after lunch, and that's an order."

"Um, Jack … I'm not in the military, so I don't necessarily have to follow your orders."

"Watch your mouth, Daniel."

Daniel grinned smugly.

"Besides, we're going to be off-duty, so it's not a military order anyway."

"But Sir, what about Teal'c? Is he allowed off base yet?" Sam asked.

"I was just on my way to ask Hammond. I'm sure it won't be a problem," Jack grinned as Teal'c looked at him curiously.

"So, on that note, I'll see you kids later," Jack said as he patted Sam on the shoulder and playfully tousled Daniel's hair.

Daniel scowled and smoothed his hair down after Jack left the room.

"Well, I gotta get going on that computer model," Sam sighed. "See ya later," she smiled as she patted Daniel on the shoulder.

Daniel looked thoughtfully at Sam's retreating form. It had only been about a week since they returned from Simarka, the planet of the Shavadai people. Daniel winced as he remembered what Sam had gone through, having to wear that monstrosity of a dress and then being traded to a brute of a man. He winced even more when he remembered that it was basically all his fault. He was the one who had suggested that she try to play along so that they might learn the Shavadai's culture; anthropologists do it all the time, he had told her.

Daniel had felt extremely guilty for what he had done, and he had never really apologized to Sam. She had become a very good friend to him in a short amount of time. Although he was still devoted to his wife Sha're who had recently been taken by the Goa'uld, he still cared a great deal for Sam and would never do anything to hurt her. Daniel felt his cheeks grow hot.

He rose from the table, deposited his trash in the garbage can, and set off for Sam's lab.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sam sat herself down in front of the computer and cursed under her breath. The machine was still being defragmented. _Damn. At the rate this is going, I'll never be able to finish that computer model, _she thought. She sighed heavily, folded her arms on top of the table and put her head down in defeat.

The door to her lab creaked almost inaudibly, and the very faint sound of footsteps was heard.

"C-Captain Doctor?" uttered a timid voice sounding much like Daniel's. Sam did not react.

The archaeologist slowly made his way across the dimly lit laboratory. His brow creased slightly when he saw the Captain sitting at the table with her head down. He shyly reached forward.

"Uh … Captain Doctor?" he tried again, putting his hand on her shoulder.

Sam jerked her head up, not expecting the touch. She turned her head to the left and sighed upon seeing Daniel there.

"Sorry, Daniel, I just wasn't expecting …"

"Oh, no, I'm sorry I snuck up on you like that," he interrupted apologetically.

Sam grinned. Even though Daniel was in his early thirties, he was still much like a little boy at times. He stood and looked at her tentatively, as if he had wanted to say something.

"So, what's up?" Sam asked nonchalantly.

Daniel folded his hands and bowed his head slightly.

"Um … I apologize, this isn't very easy for me to say …" he began.

Sam raised her eyebrows as a signal for him to go on.

"I know it's been a few days since we left Simarka …" he continued, not able to look Sam in the eyes. "I never really apologized for what happened."

Sam looked at him intently.

"What happened to you … it was all my fault. Right away I insisted that we stay and study their culture. When they wanted to make you wear that … um … dress …"

Daniel blushed furiously, but continued.

"… I said you should do what they want because anthropologists do it all the time. I had no idea that it would lead to Abu trading you to another tribe. When we couldn't find you the next morning, Jack was understandably pissed off. I thought it was all a cultural misunderstanding, so I offered to talk to Moughal. Jack was adamant about it, and I questioned his insistence of a worse case scenario. I didn't understand that that was what we were dealing with …"

He briefly looked up at Sam before continuing, and then averted his eyes once more.

"When we went to look for you, Moughal told us about Turghan, about how he is feared because he is a powerful warlord, and how he likes to partake of his latest purch – "

Sam flashed an indignant look. Daniel blushed deeply and his eyes became intensely apologetic.

"I – I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I should know better than to bring that up."

Sam looked away from him.

"Anyway, when I heard all that I really became worried about you. I really tried hard to negotiate to get you back with us. Not that it did any good, I mean Jack found something to trade, but it was such a relief to get you back …" Daniel trailed off.

Sam did not react.

"What I'm trying to say is … it was all my fault, everything that happened to you. I put my interest in learning about a new culture over your welfare. Of all the stupid, selfish things I've done so far, this tops them all. I'm really, really sorry, Captain Doctor, and I hope you can forgive me."

Sam looked back at Daniel and her stern countenance softened. She had been quite angry with Daniel and Jack for what they had gotten her into on Simarka. She pretty much ignored them both throughout the following day, not even acknowledging their presence when they all ate in the commissary. She then decided it was silly and to, in the least, be civil toward them. Perhaps she should have been angrier with Jack. Even though Daniel suggested that she should go along with their customs, Jack could have said that the idea was a silly one, and try to make the Shavadai understand what was acceptable in the Earth peoples' customs. Instead, Jack amusedly went along with it.

Nevertheless, she had still been angry at Daniel for even suggesting the idea. She admired him for his insatiable desire to learn new things – other cultures, languages, and so on – and now that desire had resulted in her terrible predicament. Still, she recognized honest sincerity in his apology and she appreciated it.

Daniel lifted his head slightly and looked timidly back up at Sam, deep blue eyes pensive beneath his long bangs.

"Daniel …" she began softly, rising from her chair.

"First of all, I was pretty upset and angry by what happened. I almost couldn't believe what you were suggesting. I mean, I know how you strive to study different cultures, but that you would even consider doing such a thing over my welfare, it just …" Sam trailed off and shook her head.

Daniel's cheeks grew hot and his eyes became intensely apologetic once again.

"I was stunned. I thought we were all a team, that we were all looking out for each other," she continued, a slight vehemence rising in her voice.

Daniel looked as if he wanted to slink away and crawl into a hole. He wrapped his arms around himself protectively.

"But I forgive you," Sam continued, mellowing a bit. "I really appreciate your sincerity. The fact that you're willing to admit your mistakes makes you a big man."

Daniel's eyes widened a bit, not expecting what she had just said. The corners of his mouth lifted up into a faint smile.

"Thank you," he said quietly, a look of pure gratefulness on his face.

Sam gave him a little smile back.

"And second of all, please call me 'Sam.' All my friends call me that," she added, her smile widening.

Daniel grew a smile of his own, and nodded.

"Sorry about that, Sam," he said sheepishly, testing out his new nickname for her.

Sam giggled and patted him on the shoulder.

He grinned, then turned to look at her computer.

"Ah … so, what are you up to?"

"Oh …" Sam began disgustedly. "It's still defragmenting." She turned and scowled at the desktop, where a box noted that the computer was only 60% defragmented.

"Really? How long has that been going on?"

Sam sighed.

"Since about 0630 hours."

Daniel's eyebrows shot up.

"Oh, so you weren't kidding when you said …"

Sam shook her head grimly.

"I need to speak to someone about getting a machine with more processing speed," she rolled her eyes. "I mean, 100 MHz front-side bus? That's basically nothing!"

"I wish I knew as much about computers as you do," Daniel admitted, grinning. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Sam laughed. After the intense emotions she had experienced, it was good to laugh.

* * *

A playful knock on the door made Sam and Daniel jump.

The door opened slightly and Jack stuck his head in.

"Ready to go, kids?" he grinned.

"H-huh? Go where?" Daniel stammered.

Jack raised his eyebrows, looking almost as if he were insulted.

"Why, back to my cozy cottage where we'll all be safe from that big, honkin' blizzard," he said cheekily.

Daniel and Sam blinked, not reacting.

"Of course, there will be the unavoidable snowball fight," he grinned widely.

Sam rolled her eyes. A look of impending dread formed on Daniel's face.

Jack glared at them. "Oh, you party poopers," he muttered.

"Yup, that's us, I guess," Daniel said in a resigned tone as he turned to Sam. They shared a little grin.

Jack shook his head.

"Well, we'll think of something to do. Come on, you two. My Wrangler awaits and those snowflakes have started falling."

Sam furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Already? What time is it?"

"Ooh, it's about … 1100 hours," Jack answered, peering down at his watch.

Daniel uttered a small gasp.

"Already?"

"Yep," Jack replied.

"I thought it wasn't supposed to start snowing until later this afternoon!" Sam said incredulously.

"Have you watched the Weather Channel lately, Carter?" Jack asked in a mock accusing tone.

Sam shook her head, dumbfounded. "Uh … no … I was busy –"

"Time flies when you're having fun, even when it's your definition of fun, which, by the way, is no fun," Jack said facetiously. Daniel rolled his eyes.

Sam was beginning to lose her patience. Jack had never apologized for making her go along with the Shavadai's customs, and now he was chiding her.

"Sir, just go away," she suddenly spat out.

Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Beg your pardon?"

"I don't need this," she said angrily.

"What? I'm just teasing, Captain. Geez, you haven't been on an even keel since we got back from Simarka …"

Sam fixed him with a deadly glare.

"And that's just it! " she shouted. "In case you didn't know, I was pretty upset over what happened there. I didn't like the way they were going to treat me. Daniel insisted that I go along with it, and you just agreed! As my CO and the leader of this team, I thought you were supposed to be looking out for us!"

Jack looked at her, dumbfounded, for a while.

"Hey, I got you out, Captain. Be grateful," he said quietly.

"Grateful?? For what??" she returned. "For all those stupid comments you made while I was wearing that horrible tent? For letting them treat me like a second-class citizen? For having fun at that party while I was being kidnapped?"

"Hey, Daniel originally suggested that you go along with it. Why aren't you angry at him?" Jack finally said, defensively.

"I was," Sam said, calming down a bit. "But Daniel _apologized_, Sir. I have yet to hear anything of the sort from you." She folded her arms across her chest, defiantly.

"Hey, I was going to apologize –"

"But you didn't," she interrupted coldly.

Daniel silently took in the argument, his eyes going back and forth from Sam to Jack. He took a couple of steps back, not willing to get in the middle of this.

"I was going to apologize once we got back to my place," Jack insisted. "So let's go …"

"No," Sam said forcefully.

"But Carter, the … um … snow?" Jack returned sarcastically.

"I have a lot of work to do. The computer is still defragmenting and I need to finish this model," she said briskly.

Jack looked at her incredulously, then focused his eyes on Daniel.

"What about you?"

"I'm staying," Daniel said quietly, and protectively wrapped his arms around himself once more.

Jack raised his eyebrows.

"What? What do you have to do that's so important?"

"Uh … w-well, I have to finish translating that artifact that SG-2 brought back last night," Daniel stammered.

Jack shut his eyes and sighed.

"Oh for cryin' out loud. Another stupid rock?"

"Artifact, Jack," Daniel corrected, glaring at him.

"Oh, excuse me," Jack said sarcastically.

Daniel and Sam stood adamantly in the room, both glaring at Jack.

"You two and your toys. If it was Armageddon, you'd both be stuck here with your doohickeys while the rest of us sane people ran for cover."

"Sir, with all due respect, get out," Sam said sharply.

"Okay, fine, I'm leaving," he said resignedly. "If you want to stay here, that's your call. Just don't come crying to me when you start getting cabin fever."

Jack started to walk away as Sam and Daniel exchanged wearied looks.

Jack turned back and stuck his head in the door once again.

"Last chance," he said hopefully.

"No," Sam and Daniel replied in unison.

Jack held his hands up in defeat and walked away.

Sam shook her head.

"Think I'll get an apology from him?" she asked Daniel.

"I don't know. If he were smart, he would apologize," Daniel returned.

Sam looked at him.

"You were right. It was wrong of him to egg you on after I insisted on going along with their customs, and the way he poked fun at you just now was uncalled for. I've known Jack for almost two years now, and I'd have thought he was a better man than that. I'm sure he'll apologize, Captain Doc –"

"Uh … Sam," he corrected himself sheepishly, causing Sam to grin.

"I'm still not going back with him," she insisted, her grin fading.

"I don't blame you," Daniel agreed. "After what he said, I don't want to go back with him either."

"It's not just that. I really want to finish that model," Sam clarified. She glanced quickly at the computer monitor, and sighed when she saw that the computer was 71% defragmented.

Daniel nodded.

Sam looked back at him, and a question suddenly entered in her mind.

"Did you mean what you said … that you have to translate that artifact?" she asked him.

Daniel took his gaze off of the computer monitor and raised his eyebrows.

"Uh … yeah. I mean … yes, I did. I deduced that it's Sumerian, but I haven't gotten that far in the actual translating …" he trailed off, blushing.

Sam grinned and nodded.

"Well," she sighed. "Since this thing is still going," she gestured at the computer, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to see what's happening."

She made her way over to the small television set, which sat in the corner of the lab. She switched it on, and quite fortuitously the local news was on.

"There is a blizzard warning in effect for Colorado Springs," the anchorman announced. "Right now, snowfall is light but it should increase in intensity in the next hour or two. There is a dusting on grassy areas at the moment. This area should expect total snowfall between 18 and 36 inches, depending on the track of the storm. Those who are commuting from work are advised to leave as soon as possible, as the storm will make driving virtually impossible. Those who are already at home are advised to stay inside and make sure they have enough heating supplies."

Sam and Daniel stared intently at the television, taking in the report, but not the least bit worried that they wouldn't be able to leave the mountain in time …

_Chapter 3 coming soon.___


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sam leaned toward the computer monitor as she double-checked the coordinates she had entered into the model. There was still one small glitch, which she didn't really feel like dealing with, but she was on automatic today and knew she had to tweak the model to get the correct set of glyphs and arrive at a destination.

She sighed deeply as her stomach protested, and she took a quick glance at her watch. It was now 1300 hours. The last thing she ate was breakfast at 0730. _Well, guess I better get something to eat, _she thought to herself. Working on an empty stomach isn't always a good thing, something she wished Daniel would learn. She exited her lab and locked the door behind her.

Sam hastily made her way down the corridor, the commissary being her ultimate destination. She was about to turn the corner when she bumped into a coffee-mug-carrying Daniel.

"Oh, geez! Daniel!" she exclaimed, as a handful of papers he'd been carrying littered the space of floor between them.

Fortunately for both of them, the coffee mug was empty.

Sam quickly bent down and began collecting the papers Daniel had dropped. Once she gathered them neatly into a pile, she lifted her gaze up toward him. Her forehead creased and her eyes became intensely apologetic as she caught sight of Daniel, a bit flustered, his glasses set crookedly upon his face.

"I'm so sorry, Daniel," she said as she edged up and handed the papers back to him.

Daniel fixed his glasses, smoothed down his hair and took his papers.

"No, no, don't worry about it, Sam," he insisted.

Sam smiled.

"Taking a break?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah, you might say that," he replied, directing his eyes to the coffee mug in his hand. "Thought it might be time for another refill."

Sam raised an eyebrow.

"More coffee?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice. "Daniel, when was the last time you ate anything?"

Daniel's eyes widened slightly, not expecting the question.

"Breakfast," he shrugged.

"And you're not hungry?"

"Uh, no, not really," he muttered.

"Daniel, man – and by that I mean the human race – does not live on coffee alone," she said, her voice adopting a slight teasing tone.

Daniel rolled his eyes briefly and grinned.

"Well, I figure it's gotten me through college, two doctorate degrees and figuring out how to work the stargate, so why stop now?" he chuckled weakly.

At that moment, his stomach growled, totally betraying his air of confidence.

"Okay, maybe food would be a good idea," he shrugged as his face grew hot.

Sam nodded and grinned knowingly at him before taking his arm, as if she were about to drag him into the commissary.

"Come with me, Doctor Jackson," she said cheekily. "You are about to have a nice, nutritious meal, consisting of turkey pot pie, a tossed salad …"

"Oh, goody," Daniel said sarcastically.

" … And a small cup of pudding for dessert."

"Only if it's chocolate," Daniel grinned.

Sam grinned back.

"Okay, only if it's – "

They both stopped short as they found themselves standing in front of a darkened, empty commissary.

Sam's brow knitted in confusion.

"Everyone couldn't have left already …"

She turned toward Daniel, whose face matched her expression perfectly.

"…Could they?"

Totally dumbfounded, they slowly entered the room and sat themselves down at a table near the buffet line. All the food was gone, and the hot trays were covered. Sam made her way onto the other side of the line and curiously lifted one of the covers, only to discover that the tray itself was empty.

Daniel sat at the table, covered his hands with his face, and sighed.

"Wait, they usually keep the desserts in the fridge back here," Sam intoned, more to herself than to Daniel. She wasn't really in the mood for strawberry Jell-o or carrot cake, but it would be better than starving to death. She opened the fridge.

"Never mind," she sighed, upon finding it empty.

She strolled back to the table and sat across from Daniel. The look on his face could almost be described as utter hopelessness.

"Hey, we don't have to hang around here," she said, a sudden realization coming to her. "There are a few places nearby to get something to eat."

Daniel's expression brightened somewhat.

"Why don't we take our chances at O'Malley's?" she suggested.

"What?" Daniel asked, his raised eyebrows nearly disappearing into his bangs.

"O'Malley's … you know, that pub that Colonel O'Neill's always promising to take us to," Sam grinned.

"Oh … sure," Daniel answered, some familiarity creeping in. "That place …"

He shrugged.

"We don't even have to do that. I have a stash of chocolate bars back in my office," he offered, half-smiling.

Sam rolled her eyes and grinned.

"Chocolate's not much better than coffee, Daniel," she said, wagging a finger at him.

"Are you sure? They're Fifth Avenue's," he said hopefully, waggling his eyebrows.

Sam giggled.

"Hey, listen to the Captain, Doctor Jackson. Chocolate isn't a lunch," a familiar voice broke in.

Startled, Sam and Daniel turned their heads, only to see Major Ferretti grinning at them and holding a cardboard tray with food.

Daniel furrowed his brow in confusion and eyed Ferretti suspiciously.

"Major Ferretti?" he intoned curiously. "You're still here?"

Ferretti nodded.

"The General told me you two were staying on base, burning the midnight oil, so to speak."

Sam and Daniel blushed.

"Since the commissary staff has up and left, I took the liberty of providing something to eat for you guys."

He gestured to the cardboard tray, which contained two things that looked like sandwiches, wrapped up in paper from McDonald's.

"Uh, one of those is a fish sandwich, the other one is chicken. Sorry, it's the best I could do," he shrugged.

Daniel and Sam stared at him for a moment, hardly able to believe their eyes. Finally, Sam picked up one of the sandwiches and curiously unwrapped it.

"This one's chicken," she told Daniel, holding it out in front of him.

"Oh, no, you can have that one," he shook his head, holding up his hand. "I'll have the fish."

Ferretti chuckled.

"Major, you didn't have to do this," Sam said seriously.

"What? And have you two go hungry? Come on, it's no big deal, Captain. I feel I owe it to you; especially you, Doctor Jackson," Ferretti insisted.

"Me? Why do you owe it to me?" Daniel asked slowly, furrowing his brow.

"You haven't had much to eat since you've been back on Earth. You call eight cups of coffee and a dozen chocolate bars sustenance? Doctor Fraiser is getting worried about you."

"Do tell," Daniel answered dryly.

"It's true, Doctor Jackson," Ferretti said jokingly. "Whenever I see her, she has that look in her eyes. I can tell you what that look means. It means, 'if he keeps it up, I'm going to have to hook him up and give him intravenous caffeine.'"

Sam giggled as Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha ha," he said loftily before biting into the fish sandwich.

Ferretti grinned widely and patted Daniel on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Major," Sam smiled, gesturing to her sandwich.

Ferretti nodded.

"I really hope you guys will be okay," he said, concern showing through his voice.

"I'm almost finished with that computer model, so hopefully I'll be on my way home soon," Sam replied, trying to sound reassuring.

Daniel nodded.

"Yeah, I'll probably be taking off soon too," he added.

Ferretti looked as if he wasn't entirely convinced, but he merely shrugged.

"Well, I gotta run before it gets any worse out there. Luckily I have a 4x4 and not a great distance to travel."

Sam nodded.

"Safe drive home, Major," she said softly.

Daniel nodded as he devoured his sandwich.

Ferretti took one last look at Daniel and chuckled, before making his way out of the commissary.

Sam and Daniel finished their sandwiches and deposited the wrappers in the trash can. Daniel collected his papers from the table and they made their way out of the commissary.

* * *

The corridor was eerily empty, save for security personnel near the elevator. Sam was about to head back to her lab when she noticed the papers in Daniel's hand.

"What are those?" she asked curiously.

"Oh … ah, I was having a bit of trouble with that translation, so I did a little research on the internet and found some notes on an academic website," Daniel replied.

Sam nodded.

"Actually, I think I'm about through for the day," Daniel continued. "If it's as bad out as Ferretti's implying, maybe I should head back to my apartment. I can finish this up another day."

Sam looked at him and furrowed her brow. Was this Daniel talking?

His eyes met hers and she shrugged herself out of it.

"Well, I want to see how this computer model is coming along. I just have to iron out one tiny glitch. It shouldn't take long … provided I find out what the glitch is, anyway," she said, in spite of herself.

Daniel nodded.

"Okay. Well, I guess I'll …" he trailed off awkwardly.

Sam looked around, still unnerved by the eerie solitude in the corridors of the SGC.

"Um, D-Daniel," she stammered. "Maybe it would be better for us to leave at the same time."

Daniel stared at her.

"I … I just think it would be best, for, um … security reasons," she finished.

Daniel nodded.

"I know what you mean. I'll just put these away and meet you back here," he said, referring to her lab.

"Thanks," Sam said gratefully, reaching out and touching Daniel's arm.

A little smile tugged at Daniel's lips, and he nodded before heading off to his office.

Sam turned and unlocked her office door, flipping the light switch before she made her way inside.

* * *

Sam shook her head in disbelief and giggled. She realized what was causing the glitch in the model. One set of coordinates had been entered twice, causing her to overlook another set which was vital to getting the destination correctly. She couldn't believe she had made such a stupid mistake. She made the appropriate changes and saved her work.

She heard the shuffling of feet at her door, and she was sure she'd almost have a heart attack if she didn't realize it was only Daniel.

"Ready?" he asked quietly.

Sam looked back at him and nodded.

"Just a second, I want to shut this down," she replied.

"Okay."

She turned back to the computer, saved her work again, and went through the shutdown process. Once everything was turned off, she grabbed her coat from one of the nearby chairs and threw it on over her green BDU's, picked up her keys and locked the door behind them.

She and Daniel made their way quickly down the corridor to the elevator. The airman who was situated at a table in front of the elevator nodded.

"Have a safe drive home, Captain. Doctor Jackson," he intoned.

"Thank you, Sergeant," Sam replied.

She and Daniel entered the elevator and began their ascent to the surface.

"I hope you have something that can get you through this blizzard," Sam said suddenly.

Daniel turned toward her.

"Oh, yeah, I have an Explorer … a new Explorer," he nodded.

"Good," Sam replied.

"What about you?" Daniel asked.

"Oh … um …"

The way Sam blushed was enough for Daniel to realize that her car wasn't exactly an all-terrain vehicle.

"Ah … Sam …" Daniel began tentatively.

She looked at him curiously.

"Maybe I should drive you home?" he asked.

Sam shook her head.

"No, you don't have to do that."

"It's no trouble, if that's what you're thinking," he insisted.

Sam looked up at him and realized that he sincerely wanted to help, that he was concerned for her welfare. She smiled faintly just as the elevator reached the surface.

"Look, Daniel," she said as they exited the elevator. "You really don't have to … "

She and Daniel stopped short, their mouths gaping open as they were about to exit the mountain.

What was formerly the parking area at Cheyenne Mountain Complex was now a wall of snow.

"Ah … well, I'd drive you home if I could _find _my Explorer," Daniel finally uttered …


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sam and Daniel stared at the wall of snow appearing before them. For a while, neither of them said anything.

"Well, _this_ is not good," Daniel muttered quietly.

Sam shut her eyes for a moment and sighed, feeling utterly defeated.

"I'm going to see if I can find it," Daniel suddenly broke in.

Sam's eyes fluttered open.

"What?"

"My truck. If I can find it, we should be okay. I've still got snow chains, and it has all-wheel drive, so – "

"Daniel, we're not going to be able to get out of here," Sam said sharply. "Now, let's go back inside the mountain where we'll be warm."

Daniel held up his hand.

"No, no, it's not nearly as bad as it looks," he insisted. "I'll be right back."

Sam made a sound of utter disbelief as Daniel headed out into the driving blizzard. He was completely undeterred, despite the fact that he was wearing nothing but his green BDU's and the black, military-issue turtleneck shirt.

"Daniel, come back!! You don't have a coat, you'll freeze to death!" Sam yelled in futility to Daniel's retreating form, already made blurry by the rapidly falling snowflakes.

Sam's brow knitted in worry and she bit her lip. Daniel had made a few stupid decisions, but at the moment this one topped them all. What on Earth would make him think that he could find his truck in weather like this? Sam wondered if Daniel had lost his mind. She pulled her coat tightly around her and folded her arms as a strong, cold breeze stung her face.

She was about to go looking for Daniel when she eyed him staggering back toward the shelter of the entrance to the base. As Daniel made his way up to her, she could see that he was slightly hunched over, his arms wrapped protectively around himself. His hair and his glasses were both sprinkled with snowflakes, and he was shivering.

Sam gave him an "I-told-you-so" look, which melted into one of pity when she saw how pathetic he looked.

"N-no," he shook his head. "Don't think I'll be able to f-find it," he stammered.

Sam wrapped her coat around his shoulders, took hold of him and led him inside, back toward the elevator.

* * *

Once they were inside her lab, Sam led Daniel, still with her coat around his shoulders, over to the small armchair in the corner.

Sam's brow knitted with worry as his cheeks still had a tinge of blue in them.

"Th-thanks, S-S-S-Sam," Daniel said softly, still shivering a bit.

Sam nodded. She stopped herself, shut her eyes and shook her head.

"Daniel, what were you thinking?"

"Wanted to leave," he gasped out. "The base."

"Why?" she asked incredulously.

"Ah … can I answer that after a warm shower?" Daniel pleaded.

Sam giggled softly.

"Yeah, okay. I'll put some tea on and I'll have it ready when you're done," she answered, gesturing toward the hotplate and teakettle on top of one of the tables.

Daniel looked at her with big puppy-dog eyes.

"Ah … coffee instead, please?" he asked hopefully, gesturing toward Sam's coffeemaker.

Sam rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Okay, coffee," she relented.

Daniel rose from the couch and made his way out of the lab.

"I'm not letting you get off easy, though," Sam called after him in a mocking tone, grinning.

Daniel nodded, failing to look back at her as he exited her lab and made a beeline in the direction of the locker room.

Sam shook her head and giggled.

* * *

  
  
Daniel sighed as powerful streams of warm water began massaging his body. For several minutes, he just stood still and let the water envelope him in a comforting warmth until it drove the chills from his body. He felt his eyes droop shut as he imagined himself back in the relatively warm climate of Abydos.

His lips edged upward into a slight smile as a familiar face floated into view. It was a round, tanned face framed by long, curly black hair. Her smile gave her away.

_"My Dan-iel, it is good to see you,"_ she said softly.

"Sha're…" Daniel uttered softly, his eyes still shut and his smile still present.

The smiling face of his recently abducted wife made the warmth even stronger.

"_My husband_," she said adoringly.

Suddenly, her smile turned into a startled frown, her brown eyes wide.

_"Dan-iel?__ What is wrong?" _she asked, her voice full of concern.

"Hmm? What? Nothing's wrong…" Daniel muttered. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

Sha're kept looking at him with a concerned frown on her face. Without warning, her features began to change. Her tanned skin turned very fair. Her round face became a bit more angular. Her dark eyes became a clear sapphire blue. Her hair was suddenly much shorter, lighter, and straighter. Her brow knitted in confusion.

_"Daniel?"_ Sam asked softly, worry evident in her voice_. "Are you okay?"_

"Sam!!" Daniel shouted. His eyes flew open, and he realized he was still standing in the shower, warm water still beating down on him.

"What the hell…?" he panted as he looked around.

He looked down at his fingers, which now resembled pink prunes, testament to how long he'd been in there.

"I better hurry up or Sam will think I drowned," he muttered in spite of himself.

He poured a glob of shampoo into his palm and began massaging it into his scalp, its clean, crisp fragrance invigorating him. He rinsed off and drained the water before groping for the clean towel he'd set out for himself on the bench just outside the stall.

Daniel dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist. He headed over to the mirror and squinted at his reflection, then snorted as he realized he might do better with his glasses on.

He fished for his glasses and set them upon his face. He nearly winced when he saw his reflection in the mirror. His limp, wet hair hung over his face. Was it already time for a haircut? No, he'd just gotten one after he returned from Abydos. Daniel rolled his eyes as he remembered that Jack had made some remark about his hair looking too shaggy after not seeing a barber for more than a year, and had driven him down to the barber himself. Of course, Daniel's resulting trim wasn't enough to please Jack, but he reminded himself that Daniel was a civilian, and a fairly stubborn one at that.

Daniel rubbed his head with a towel before he started to get dressed, pulling on a clean turtleneck shirt and pair of BDU's. He rooted through his locker until he found his small hairdryer, which he plugged in and then proceeded to blow his hair dry. A quick run through with a comb and his grooming ritual was complete.

He looked around the room and frowned, as it seemed to have gotten a bit chillier since he had started his shower. He merely shrugged and headed down the corridor, Sam's lab being his ultimate destination.

* * *

  
  
Sam stared at her computer screen, double-checking the model she had spent so much time on. After she was convinced that it was nearly perfect, she shut the computer down and picked up one of her journals.

She absent-mindedly looked down at her watch. It was nearly a half hour since Daniel had left to take his shower. Sam's brow furrowed in confusion. What was taking him so long?

Before she was able to worry that he had drowned, her lab door softly creaked open. Standing in the doorway was a somewhat apologetic-looking Daniel.

Sam smiled and gestured for him to enter the room.

Daniel made his way inside and walked right up to her. Sam smiled. He was well groomed, and the color had come back into his face. In fact, he was even blushing.

"Ah … sorry I spent so long in there," he said, averting his eyes.

"Don't apologize," Sam smiled. "I'm just glad you're looking better."

Daniel nodded, still averting his eyes.

"Are you feeling better?"

He looked back up at her.

"Oh, yeah. A warm shower was all I needed. I didn't mean to spend so much time in there," he said quickly. "I just got … sidetracked."

Sam's brow knitted in confusion.

"What?" she asked, not understanding him.

Daniel's cheeks grew hot.

"Nothing. It's nothing. I'm fine."

He looked back up at her and gave her a quick, little smile.

Sam shrugged.

"Ooo-kay," she sighed.

Daniel's eyes darted over to Sam's blank computer monitor.

"So, how did that go?" he asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"All finished," Sam smiled triumphantly.

Daniel raised his eyebrows.

"Really?"

"Yep. I just looked it over again, and everything checks out," she replied, sounding like an excited schoolgirl.

Daniel smiled.

"That's great. Good work, Sam."

Sam nodded, a blush rising in her cheeks.

"Thanks."

For a moment, two sets of blue eyes pierced each other.

"How about you?" Sam finally asked. "How is your translation coming?"

Daniel's face fell.

"I still have a little work to do on it. I thought I was finished, but I got the forms mixed up, so I might have to start over," he answered, his voice a bit melancholy.

Sam looked at him sadly for a moment. She reached over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry. You'll figure it out. You're a really smart guy, Daniel," she said softly.

Daniel looked up at her and smiled gratefully.

"Thanks, Sam. I really appreciate the support you've given me," he replied, blushing.

Sam smiled at him and nodded.

"Anytime."

The percolating of the coffeemaker broke the silence.

"Oh, speaking of support," she began as she headed over to the other side of the room.

She returned with a hot, steaming mug of coffee and offered it to Daniel.

"Thanks," he nodded before taking a sip.

"Mmm," he said.

"Black, just as you like it," Sam winked.

Daniel grinned and lifted his mug, as if he were about to propose a toast, before taking another sip.

* * *

  
  
"Well, I guess I better get cracking on that translation," Daniel sighed once he had finished his coffee. He rose from the chair and was about to head out of the room.

"Daniel …" Sam began sternly.

Daniel turned around and looked at Sam, curiously raising his eyebrows.

"You're taking a break, and that's it."

"Sam, I already had one. That shower was more than enough," he protested.

"Come on, Daniel. We're on stand down, we're stuck here at the base, why don't we have a little leisure time? Will the world end if you don't pick up that artifact again until tomorrow?"

Daniel glared at Sam. Realizing that he wouldn't get anywhere, and that she was probably right, he shut his eyes and sighed.

"No, I guess not."

Sam's expression brightened.

"Come on, I've got a TV in my office," she offered.

"Don't you have one in here?" Daniel asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

Sam smirked.

"Yeah, but that's a dinky little set with barely any reception," she said playfully. "I've got a nice 18-inch TV in my office, plus a nice, comfy couch."

"You've sold me," Daniel smiled.

They made their way out of Sam's lab, and headed down to her office.

"What's on now?" Daniel asked curiously, once they reached Sam's door.

Sam looked down at her watch, which read 1900 hours.

"'The Simpsons,'" she grinned.

"Ah. One of my favorite shows," Daniel crooned.

Sam giggled as she unlocked the door.

"Great, you put the TV on and I'll make the popcorn," she winked, heading over to the small microwave oven.

_Chapter 5 coming soon._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Daniel furrowed his brow in confusion as Sam went through her stash of goodies.

"You have popcorn?" he asked curiously.

Sam turned to face him, holding up a single bag of microwave popcorn and grinning.

Her grin faded as she noticed he was staring at her.

"What…?" she asked bewilderingly.

"You have popcorn?" he repeated, an amused smirk spreading across his face.

"Yes! What is so funny??" she demanded, giggling slightly.

Daniel raised his eyebrows nonchalantly.

"Oh, nothing. Not surprising that you'd have a microwave, but … microwave popcorn?" he replied in an amused tone.

"Why not? I always keep it here in case I'm too busy to head to the commissary when I feel like snacking on something."

Daniel turned his back to her and snickered.

"Hey, at least it's healthier than chocolate and coffee," she shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Daniel whipped his head around, a mock look of surprise on his face.

"Ooh, good comeback, Captain Doctor," he teased.

Sam grinned and nodded as she removed the popcorn bag from its plastic wrap and placed it inside the microwave oven.

Daniel made his way up to her as she was about to set the time on the oven.

"Sorry about that, I was just teasing," he smiled shyly. "I hope I didn't hurt your feelings or anything." He shot her a worried expression.

"Are you kidding? No, you didn't hurt my feelings, Daniel," she giggled, almost affectionately.

"Good, I'm glad," he said gratefully as he looked into her eyes.

"I have to admit, though, you're being quite a snarky little bunny tonight, Daniel," Sam grinned. "It almost makes me wonder if you've been hanging around Colonel O'Neill too much."

"Oh, God," Daniel groaned, a pained expression on his face. "I never thought I'd end up sounding just like Jack."

Sam giggled.

"I was only kidding, Daniel. You could never be just like the Colonel. And I mean that in a good way," she grinned naughtily.

"Well, that makes me feel a lot better," Daniel chuckled. "It's a good thing he can't hear us."

Sam nodded as she headed back to check on the popcorn.

"Nope, he's settled in his humble abode watching some hockey game, I would imagine," she answered as she made her way back to Daniel, popcorn ready and waiting in a Tupperware bowl.

"Sounds thrilling," Daniel said dryly as he joined her on the couch. "I'd take 'The Simpsons' over that any day."

"Likewise," Sam grinned as she shoved a few kernels of popcorn into her mouth. She hit the remote and the TV flickered on. A promo advertised two upcoming episodes of the show.

"Wow, _two_ episodes of 'The Simpsons,'" Daniel said as he reached for the popcorn. "We lucked out."

* * *

  
  
"This one looks like a repeat," Daniel said, as he munched on some popcorn.

Sam nodded.

"Yeah, I think it's from three or four years ago."

She and Daniel stared at the screen, dumbfounded, as they realized where the plot of the episode was going: to make money, Homer Simpson started a snow-plowing business and became known as "Mr. Plow."

"Oh God, this is too weird," Daniel deadpanned.

Sam turned her head, and grinned slightly at Daniel's expression.

"I'll say," she agreed.

She turned back to the TV screen.

"This is one of my favorite episodes, though," she added, reaching for the popcorn once again.

* * *

"Boy, we could sure use Homer Simpson in a snow plow right about now," Daniel sighed once the episode had ended.

"Oh, come on," Sam grinned.

"Funny how life often imitates art, isn't it?" he continued glumly.

"Lighten up, won't you? It's not the end of the world," Sam giggled.

"I guess you're right," Daniel sighed.

He turned back to Sam with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Mister Plow/That's my name/That name again is Mister Plow," he sung, imitating Homer from the episode.

Sam blushed as he edged a bit closer to her.

"'Our forecast calls for flurries of passion followed by extended periods of gettin' it on …" he grinned, repeating Homer's line from the end of the episode, while tracing Sam's face with his finger.

"Daniel!" Sam laughed.

Daniel grinned mischievously and attempted to tickle the side of her neck.

"Daniel, stop it!!" she laughed harder.

"Hmm, note to self: the Captain Doctor is ticklish," he said cheekily as he mimed writing something on an imaginary pad of paper.

"Come on, that wasn't fair!" she protested, still grinning.

"All's fair in love and war, Doctor," Daniel replied, waggling his eyebrows.

"What 'war'?" Sam scoffed.

Daniel realized what he had said, and his cheeks flamed. He put his head down.

"Ah … never mind, I'm just being ridiculous," he finally replied, as he looked up at Sam and smiled shyly.

She shook her head and grinned. She was glad that Daniel was starting to lighten up and relax a little. Hopefully he was making the best of the situation now.

"Oh, the next episode is starting," she said, turning her attention back to the TV. "I think this one is a new episode."

"Oh, good," Daniel said softly as he turned back to the TV as well.

* * *

  
  
"That was a pretty good episode," Sam said as she shut off the TV.

"Yeah, it had its moments," Daniel agreed. "There were some pretty funny parts actually," he grinned.

Sam looked at him expectantly.

" … like when Milhouse's parents first arrived, and his dad said, 'Sorry we're late, but Luann had to put on her face …'"

Sam grinned, amazed at Daniel's near-perfect impersonation of Kirk Van Houten.

"'… she doesn't want anyone to know that she has no eyebrows … well, you don't!'"

Sam fell back on the couch, laughing.

"Those crooked eyebrows!! That was good!" she exclaimed.

Daniel chuckled.

"What about the scene when Homer visits him and he has that racing car bed?" Sam added once she had sobered up a bit.

Daniel looked at her expectantly.

"You know, when he tells Homer about the perks of living the single life. 'I sleep in a racing car, how about you?'"

Daniel grinned and nodded at Sam's good – though not quite as good as his – impersonation.

"And Homer answers, 'I sleep in a big bed with my wife.'" Sam finished, giggling slightly.

Daniel's grin faded, and his eyes drifted downward. He nodded slightly.

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion as she looked at Daniel.

"Daniel?" she asked curiously. "Are you okay?"

Daniel didn't look at her. He kept his eyes averted and nodded once again.

"I didn't say something wrong, did I?" she asked, concerned.

"No," Daniel barely whispered, shaking his head. His eyes appeared to glisten with unshed tears.

It was at that moment that Sam realized he was still pining for Sha're, and her comment had only made it worse.

"Oh, geez, I'm such an idiot," she said seriously as she sunk back into the couch.

She sighed and covered her face with her hands.

"Daniel …" she began, removing her hands from her face. "I am so stupid. Can you ever forgive me?"

She bit her lip worriedly as Daniel turned back to face her.

"No, Sam, you don't need to apologize," he assured her gently. "It's my fault. I shouldn't be brooding like this."

"What? Daniel, it's been three weeks since Sha're was captured. You have every right to be brooding."

"Yeah, but not to this extent," he sighed.

He stared at Sam as if he had more to say, and Sam raised her eyebrows as a signal for him to continue.

"I saw her in the shower, Sam," he said quietly, averting his eyes.

Sam's brow knitted in confusion.

"What?"

"In the shower," Daniel repeated. "I … I was so cold and the water was so warm, I felt like I was back on Abydos. I closed my eyes and I saw Sha're's face."

Sam looked at him intently.

"She was exactly as she had been before she was taken … until something happened and she started to change."

"Change?" Sam asked.

"She just started looking … different," he continued, blushing faintly.

"Different how?" Sam asked curiously.

Daniel finally turned and faced her. He looked into her eyes and the corners of his mouth slightly lifted up into the faintest of smiles.

"She was just different … still beautiful, but very, _very_, different. And that's about it."

Sam looked at him pitifully.

"Daniel, we will find Sha're. You know that, don't you?" she asked gently as she began stroking his hair in a comforting gesture.

Daniel hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Yes," he finally answered. "You guys have been so supportive to me ever since this happened … Jack, even Tea'lc … and especially you, Sam. Thank you," he smiled gratefully.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Sam smiled back and patted him gently on the shoulder.

Daniel smiled shyly and nodded before Sam embraced him in a hug.

* * *

The clock on Sam's VCR read 2100 hours.

"Wow, is that the time already?" Daniel suddenly intoned. "I guess I should head back to my office and finish that translation." He moved to get off of the couch.

"Hey, you promised you'd leave that thing until tomorrow," Sam retorted as she grabbed his arm.

"I did?" he asked.

"Come on, it's time for 'The X-Files,'" Sam grinned.

Daniel's eyebrows shot up.

"That's on now?"

"It is in here," she answered.

Daniel's brow knitted in confusion.

"We were still off world when the last episode aired, so I taped it," she clarified.

"Oh," Daniel nodded, realization appearing on his face.

Sam grinned as she popped a videotape into the VCR.

* * *

"Damn, I can't believe it was a repeat. I wasted a brand new blank tape for a repeat," Sam said disappointedly.

"I don't know. I like that episode," Daniel said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I guess it's not a bad episode," she shrugged. "Scully's father looked awfully familiar."

"Didn't he?" Daniel suddenly remarked.

"Yeah. I can't put my finger on it, but he looks like someone I know very well …"

"He looks like someone I know very well, too. Now I wonder why that is …?" Daniel continued with his brow furrowed in thought.

Sam shrugged.

"Damned if I know."

Daniel nodded.

"Still is odd, though," he mused.

Sam looked at him, and a huge grin spread across her face.

"What?" Daniel asked as he managed a slight grin.

"I was just thinking. We have practically the whole base to ourselves. No one is around, except for a few airmen on security detail. When was the last time you wanted to do something fun?"

"What are you suggesting, Sam?" Daniel asked amusedly, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, well, nothing in particular, I suppose," she said innocently as she made her way to the other side of the room and picked up a pair of roller blades.

"What are you going to do with those?" Daniel asked naively.

Sam grinned.

"Have you ever roller-bladed, Daniel?"

Daniel felt his cheeks grow hot.

"Ah … no, I-I haven't," he stammered.

"Oh, come on!" Sam exclaimed, surprised. "Never?"

"I never really had time to do anything fun," he said regrettably.

Sam looked at him pitifully.

"I'll teach you, then," she smiled. "There's really nothing to it. Have you ever gone ice-skating?"

"Uh … a few times, I think, back when I was in college," he nodded.

"This isn't much different," she said, reassuringly.

"One small problem: where are you going to get an extra pair of skates?" Daniel asked her as he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Problem solved," she replied. "Colonel O'Neill has a pair."

"Jack?" Daniel asked, almost incredulously.

"Yeah, he has a pair in his office, leaning up against his closet. You never saw them?"

Daniel shook his head. He looked at Sam amusedly.

"Jack roller-blades??" he snickered.

Sam shrugged.

"I'll go get them," she said as she made her way out of the room.

Five minutes later, she returned with Jack's roller blades in tow.

"Here, try them on," she told Daniel as she set them in front of him.

Daniel slipped the skates on, surprised that they seemed to fit pretty well. Sam laced her skates up and took Daniel's arm.

"Okay, let's go," she coaxed him as they made their way toward the corridor.

* * *

Daniel held on to Sam for support as they slowly made their way down the corridor.

"See? It's not that different from ice-skating," she told him.

"No, it doesn't seem to be. I haven't been ice-skating in almost ten years, though," he answered.

Sam smiled.

"Okay, once more down this corridor and then you can try it without holding on to me," she said.

"I think I'd rather hold on to you," he said a bit fearfully.

"Don't worry, you'll have it down in no time," she reassured him.

* * *

Half an hour later, Daniel and Sam were skating down the corridors of the SGC at a pretty good clip. Daniel seemed to have gained confidence and was no longer holding on to Sam.

"See, didn't I tell you you'd have it down in no time?" she exclaimed.

"I honestly didn't think it would be that easy to pick up," Daniel remarked once they slowed to a stop near the commissary.

"It's not, Daniel. You're just a quick learner," Sam smiled.

Daniel shrugged innocently and lowered his head. He flinched somewhat as Sam touched his arm. He looked back up at her and saw that she was grinning impishly at him.

"I'll race ya," she said before turning around and racing down the corridor past him.

Daniel grinned as he set off to pursue her. He almost didn't want to admit it, but he was having a lot of fun. Sam had picked up his spirits, and he felt he owed her for that.

In due time, he caught up to Sam, and actually managed to pass her. A look of surprise appeared on Sam's face as she saw Daniel passing her. She was glad that he seemed to be having fun, and she hastened to catch up to him.

"I won!!" Daniel yelled triumphantly as he stopped right in front of Sam's office. Sam smiled and shook her head as she noticed the huge grin plastered on Daniel's face. Yes, she had done her job, and he was enjoying himself.

"Hey, you wouldn't have done it without me," she teased. "Who taught you how to roller-blade in the first place?"

"Ah, I guess you're right. So, it's not a true victory, then?" he asked, giving her a sad puppy-dog face.

Sam shook her head and giggled.

"No, but you started off stumbling and having to hold on to me every step of the way. A half hour later and you were racing me down the corridor. I have to give you some credit for that," she winked.

"Gee, thanks," Daniel chuckled.

Sam patted him on the shoulder and smiled.

Suddenly, he uttered a little yawn and put his hand to his mouth. Sam looked down at her watch and her jaw nearly dropped.

"Oh my God, it's almost 2300 hours," she remarked.

Daniel's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Eleven o'clock," Sam smiled.

Daniel's eyes widened.

"I don't know about you, but I think I'm going to turn in," he finally said.

Sam nodded.

"Yeah, I'm starting to get tired. I think I'll kick back and do a little reading," she said.

"Sounds like a plan," Daniel smiled faintly. "I might work on that translation a bit before I head back to my quarters."

Sam looked at him sternly.

"Promise me you won't work too hard," she said seriously.

"Only if you won't," he replied, his eyes twinkling. He knew that she had a few unfinished projects, and had a penchant for working well into the night.

"Okay," she sighed.

Daniel smiled and nodded as he picked up his boots, which were lying up against the wall next to Sam's door.

"Well, guess I'll see you tomorrow, then," he said awkwardly before turning to head in the direction of his office.

Sam nodded. "'Night, Daniel."

Daniel turned back to look at her.

"Goodnight, Sam," he said softly.

Sam smiled and headed back into her office. She shut the door behind her and removed her skates before settling back on her couch with the latest issue of Astrophysics and Space Science.

Fifteen minutes went by, and Sam noticed that the temperature in the room started to drop a bit. Her brow knitted as she searched the room for something to cover herself with. She grabbed her coat, put it on over her BDU jacket, and settled back down to read. She hoped it wouldn't get much colder as the night wore on …

_Chapter 6 coming soon._


	6. Chapter 6 Finale

Chapter 6

Sam's eyelids began to droop as she perused the last few pages of the journal. Forty-five minutes had passed, and the room had turned a bit colder. In addition to her coat, she was now relying on an old comforter she'd brought from home to keep her warm. She finally decided that she couldn't keep her eyes open much longer, and that it would be better to try to get some sleep.

Lacking the strength to get up off the couch, she flung the journal like a Frisbee. She merely shrugged when it hit the floor instead of the corner of her desk. She reached over and switched off the standing lamp, which stood close to her side of the couch.

Sam yawned and pulled the blanket tightly around her as she eased back down against the arm of the couch, her head cushioned by one of the small throw pillows, which she'd also brought from home.

"_I wonder how Daniel is doing_," she thought to herself before she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A knock on her partly open door jolted Sam awake.

She lifted her head up off the pillow and turned her glance toward the clock on the wall, which told her that it was 1 a.m. As she swallowed, she uttered a slight sound of protest upon discovering that she had a bit of a sore throat.

The soft knocking resumed. Sam didn't have to ask who it was.

"Daniel?" she croaked.

Daniel took a few steps forward and entered the room. In her darkened office, he appeared as nothing more than a darkened silhouette.

"Oh, uh, I d-didn't wake you, did I?" he asked hesitantly.

Sam sat up a bit and shook her head.

"No," she rasped out. A faint blush crept up over her cheeks as she cleared her throat.

"I'm a pretty light sleeper," she fibbed.

Daniel took a few steps closer towards the couch, and Sam was finally able to make out his features amidst the darkness. Reluctantly, she peeled off her blanket and reached up to turn on the standing lamp.

She looked up at him and realized just how cold the SGC was turning. As he breathed in and out, she could see his breath, and his arms were wrapped around himself tightly once again, but this time it was due to being cold.

"I … ah, came to see if you were all right," he said unconvincingly.

A slight look of surprise came over Sam's face.

"I was in my office finishing that translation, and –"

"Oh, did you finish it?" Sam interrupted, her curiosity piqued.

His pensive expression was replaced by a small grin, which said it all.

Sam smiled and nodded.

"Nice job," she said softly.

"Oh, it wasn't a big deal," he said dismissively.

Sam looked at him expectantly.

"Anyway, I was in my office finishing that translation when I noticed that the room started to become sort of … well … cold. I thought it was just my office, that the heat got cut off or something, somehow. I thought it was about time I get some rest, so I tried one of the holding cells, but it was cold in there, too. I tried one of the guest quarters, and _that_ was cold …"

Daniel's voice took on a weary tone, and Sam looked at him pitifully.

"Doesn't seem to be much warmer in here," he continued, rubbing his hands together.

"Do you know what's going on?" he asked Sam.

Sam shrugged. Then, for a moment, her eyes gleamed as if an understanding had suddenly struck her. It quickly passed, however, when she realized that the idea didn't seem right. She frowned and shook her head.

"What?" Daniel asked curiously.

Sam shook her head again.

"No, it's not right," she said, frustrated.

"What's not right?" Daniel asked as he joined her on the couch, and pulled his knees up to his chest to keep warm.

Sam turned to face him.

"When I was ten and we lived in D.C., we had a severely cold winter. One morning I woke up and it was icy cold in my room. My father said that the extreme cold caused our water pipes to freeze. We had no heat up on the second floor of our house, and we had to sleep downstairs to keep warm. Dad put one of those space heaters in an upstairs bedroom to try to thaw the pipes. It worked, and once the outside temperature began to moderate, the heat came back up. I was thinking that something similar could have happened here at the base, but now I don't think it's possible with the heating system we have. We have backup generators in case our electricity or heating/cooling systems shut off."

"Yeah. Well, the electricity seems to be fine," Daniel noted miserably, gesturing toward the standing lamp.

"I don't know see how this could happen," Sam intoned, sounding more frustrated than ever. "Even if it was something like frozen pipes, the backup should have restored the heat."

She sighed heavily, her breath visible once again. A chill went down her back and she shivered slightly.

"Damn, it's getting cold in here," she said quietly as she drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

Daniel nodded.

"I'm exhausted and cold. I don't know which is worse," he intoned dreadfully.

Sam giggled slightly out of pity, and Daniel smiled sadly at her.

"Well, I guess we should try to get some sleep," she said. "If things keep going at this rate, it's probably going to get colder in here. We should probably sleep up against each other to combine body heat and keep warm … "

She trailed off as she noticed Daniel sitting motionless and staring past her.

"Daniel?" Sam asked curiously.

Daniel shrugged himself out of it.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I, uh … it's nothing."

At that moment, Sam knew something was bothering him.

"Daniel? What's bothering you?" she asked softly.

Daniel sighed deeply and averted his eyes.

"Well, okay, you're going to think this is stupid, but … it's the first time I've slept with a woman since I lost Sha're," he replied, his voice thick with sorrow and regret.

He felt a comforting hand touch his shoulder, and he focused his eyes back on Sam.

"It's not stupid, Daniel," she said gently as she began stroking his hair in a comforting gesture. "I know how hard losing Sha're was for you, and I know how awkward this must be."

Daniel studied her face, and then nodded.

"I know," he said simply.

"This is just so we can keep warm. We're both exhausted, and it doesn't look like this place is going to get any warmer anytime soon. I don't know how cold it's going to get, but this is all we can do to keep from freezing to death."

Daniel mulled it over and nodded once again.

"You're right. Besides, if I freeze to death, I'll no longer be able to search for her, know that I have a chance of actually finding her and getting her back."

Sam sighed and nodded. She turned to him with a slight smile.

"And more importantly, we'll have lost our best and brightest teammate, the man who made the SGC a reality."

Daniel raised his eyebrows.

"W-what? The 'best and brightest?'"

Sam scoffed.

"Daniel, please! Without you, none of this would have been possible," she grinned.

Daniel's cheeks flamed, and he immediately averted his eyes.

"Well, now you've done it. I hope you're happy in knowing that you've made me feel about ten feet tall," he said facetiously, a little smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Sam giggled softly.

"Always glad to help," she winked. "Now, what do you say we try to get some sleep?"

Daniel nodded.

With that, he eased his head down on the other throw pillow and folded his legs up so that he was in a modified fetal position. Sam lay up against him, her head resting nearly on top of his chest. She pulled out the comforter and draped it across them both. After about fifteen minutes, she and Daniel had finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sam's eyes suddenly fluttered open. When she saw the position she was in, she almost felt guilty. She recalled the conversation she and Daniel had had before they decided to snuggle up together to keep warm. She knew Daniel was married and still loved his estranged wife very much. She hadn't known Daniel very long, and they were already very good friends. She cared for him so much that she wanted to do whatever she could to keep anything from happening to him. At first, it was hard for her to fall asleep, but the rhythmic rise and fall of Daniel's chest was soothing and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Now she was wide awake. She was still cold, but not as cold as she had been before. Something was keeping her awake, though. Something didn't make her feel quite right. Her eyes drifted upward, and she realized that the top of her head was almost level with Daniel's chin. She lifted her head and studied his face. His glasses were set crookedly over his eyes, causing Sam to grin.

She reached over, gently removed his glasses, and placed them on the small end table. She looked back down at Daniel's face, and realized how boyishly handsome he actually looked. Most of the time his brow was creased, but now, as he slept, that feature was gone. He looked so serene, and it made her smile inside. A shorter strand of hair dangled over his forehead, and she brushed it over to the side of his face.

"_Oh, God, I'm fussing over him like I'd be fussing over my nephew_," she suddenly thought to herself. Nevertheless, she broke out in a smile.

"Ummm?" Daniel muttered softly.

Sam turned back to face him and her smile faded. Even though Daniel appeared to be still asleep, the crease in his brow returned, and he shook his head slightly.

"Sh … Sha're?" he muttered in a slight Abydonian accent.

Sam had heard him talk that way back on Abydos, after she'd met him for the first time. Her face became serious and she couldn't tell if Daniel had become delirious, or if he was just dreaming.

"I'm here, my Dan-iel," she answered in her best impersonation of Sha're.

She began tracing his face softly with her finger.

"Um … it's c-cold. Why is it so cold?" he mumbled.

"Do not worry, my Dan-iel. We will keep each other warm with our love," Sam said softly.

"Mmm, Sha're … "

Daniel finished by uttering a few words in Abydonian, words Sam couldn't quite understand, but what she took to mean something like 'I love you.'

Sam didn't know what to do, so she uttered the same phrase back to Daniel. His face relaxed, and the crease in his brow was gone.

Sam sighed softly, and laid her head back down against his chest. She drifted off to sleep almost immediately…

* * *

"Carter … "

Sam slowly awoke as she felt someone nudging her shoulder. She lifted her head and her vision pieced together an image of Jack standing over her, a curious look on his face.

"Captain Carter?"

General Hammond stepped out from behind Jack.

"Uh? G-General?" she answered groggily.

She turned back to Daniel who was still asleep, snoring softly. She looked back up at Jack, who was now grinning amusedly. He bent down and grabbed Daniel's nose, resulting in a fair amount of snorting and coughing from the archaeologist.

Daniel raised his head, glaring at whoever had been the cause of his rude awakening. Jack handed him his glasses, and once he put them on, his eyes widened.

"Jack??"

Sam edged away from Daniel and sat up.

"Sir? What's going on? What day is it?" she asked, still groggy.

"It's Thursday, Carter," Jack answered.

Sam furrowed her brow in confusion.

"You know, the day after that big, killer blizzard hit?" Jack clarified.

"One day??" Sam said quietly. "It's only been one day?"

"Affirmative," Jack replied. "They got all the roads plowed and de-iced by 0600 hours this morning. The parking lot is clear, everyone's back on base, and everything is back to normal," he said cheekily.

"Well … except for finding you and Daniel sacked out on the couch, in each other's arms, of course," he added.

Sam and Daniel immediately blushed furiously and sat up straight, trying not to look at each other.

"Um … Sir, regardless of what this must have looked like," she began, addressing Hammond more than Jack. "Daniel and I were trying to keep warm. The base grew very cold late last night, we could have frozen to death."

"You're correct, Captain," Hammond said. "The temperature plunged well below freezing last night, and we weren't equipped to deal with such a situation. A computer glitch prevented the backup generators from coming on. The situation is being worked on right now to ensure that this doesn't happen again."

Sam nodded.

"You did the right thing, Captain. If you hadn't done what you did, you and Doctor Jackson could very well have been stricken with hypothermia," Hammond continued. "Good work."

"Thank you, Sir," Sam replied, a bit dumbfounded.

The General nodded, and made his way out of her office.

Jack watched him leave, then turned back around to Sam and Daniel.

"Well, Carter, I … uh … well, I didn't want to say this with Daniel around," he began facetiously.

"Hey!" Daniel protested, furrowing his brow.

Jack smirked at him.

"Aw, what the hell. Carter, I'm sorry for acting like a jackass and nearly putting your life in danger on Simarka. It was a typical, pig-headed, numbskull Colonel thing, and I will never do it again," he said, holding his hands up.

Sam grinned amusedly.

"Thank you, Sir. Apology accepted. I think."

Jack nodded.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you two to your own devices," he continued as he headed for the door.

Sam and Daniel exchanged bewildered looks.

"Oh, and Daniel …" he began nonchalantly.

Daniel raised his eyebrows curiously.

"You wouldn't happen to know where my rollerblades went, would you?"

Daniel's eyes grew wide for a moment, and he looked over at Sam. He turned back to Jack, shrugged, and shook his head.

"That's what I figured," Jack said, as he turned back and walked out of the room.

Meanwhile, a familiar pair of rollerblades sat in Daniel's office, behind his cluttered desk…

THE END


End file.
